This application is for a continuation of funding for a postdoctoral training program in Cellular Neurobiology. The goal of this program, which has been supported by NIH since 1968, is to provide postdoctoral fellows in their first 2 years after obtaining the Ph.D. with cutting-edge training in electrophysiological, optical, molecular, and/or structural techniques and their application to fundamental questions in neurobiology. Our program is currently training 33 pre-doctoral students and 49 postdoctoral fellows, of whom 4 are supported by this grant. Trainees, who typically spend a minimum of at least 2 years in the program, are selected for the program based on evidence indicating outstanding potential for a future career in research and are admitted based on prior research experience, publications, and letters of recommendation. Special efforts are in place to enhance the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities. In the program trainees are offered a rich selection of seminars, journal clubs, and technique workshops and are thus exposed to new techniques, findings and ideas. Outstanding research facilities and an exceptionally strong research environment are available to our trainees. Moreover, core facilities and shared resources offer our trainees access to state-or-the-art equipment in analytical biochemistry, molecular biology, electrophysiology, and microscopy. Our training faculty have strong research programs in their laboratories that are supported by both public and private funding agencies and are highly committed to both pre-doctoral and postdoctoral training.